Michael Jai White
| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York | occupation = Actor, martial artist | title = | spouse = Courtney Chatham (2005–2011) Gillian Iliana Waters (2015–present) | children = 3 }} Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first black person to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn.Spawn was released on August 1, 1997, two weeks before the release of Steel, which starred NBA basketball player Shaquille O'Neal. Robert Townsend and Damon Wayans also starred in the superhero films The Meteor Man (1993) and Blankman (1994), respectively, both parodies. White appeared as Marcus Williams in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, and starred as the character on the TBS/OWN comedy-drama television series Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse. White portrayed Jax Briggs in Mortal Kombat: Legacy. White also portrayed boxer Mike Tyson in the 1995 HBO television movie Tyson, and starred as Black Dynamite in the titular hit blaxploitation film, as well as the titular Warner Bros. Animation series. Early life White was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved as a teen to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he graduated from Central High School in 1985. He is an accomplished martial artist, holding black belts in eight different styles: Shōtōkan, Taekwondo, Kobudō, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin,"Male Celebs Who Practice Martial Arts", Jet magazine, Sept. 24, 1903, at pp. 38-39. with a specific focus in Kyokushin (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms).Taco the Town: Michael Jai White White started training in the martial arts at the age of seven in Jujutsu and then shōtōkan moving to other styles later. White is a former teacher.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujo1hgQbGr0 47 HH interview with Michael J. White and Scott Sanders to promote the movie Black Dynamite] He cites his history in education as the reason why, despite his personal love for the music genre on "a lot of levels", he cannot "in good conscience" have a positive opinion on hip hop or "excuse some of its pervasive and destructive elements", mainly due to his experience with youngsters who had difficulty seeing the difference between it and real life. Acting career White's first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson, as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 movie Spawn, making him the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture. His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds. In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes' and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including Static Shock and the Justice League. White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing. He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. He appeared in Kill Bill: Volume 2, although his role was cut from the theatrical release. His film Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007. White played the role of the mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite, both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and his upcoming 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine. On March 30, 2010, White appeared on The Mo'Nique Show to promote his film Why Did I Get Married Too. The two joked about the acclaim that comes with winning an Oscar. In May of that year he appeared in the music video for Toni Braxton's new song "Hands Tied" from her album Pulse, as well as the Nicki Minaj music video for "Your Love" as Nicki's sensei and love interest. He also starred in Kevin Tancharoen's short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, as Jax Briggs, and reprised the role in Mortal Kombat: Legacy, a webseries from the same director. He recently posted on Twitter that he would not be returning to the role for the second season, but would return for the 2013 film. White made his directorial debut and starred in Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, which was released on home video on September 13, 2011. White also provided the voice of Green Lantern in the video game Justice League Heroes. Personal life From 2005-2011 White was married to Courtney Chatham and together they have a daughter named Morgan. In addition, White has two sons.Michael Jai White’s Adorable Baby Girl In February 2014, White announced his engagement to actress Gillian Iliana Waters. In July 2015 White married Waters in an intimate, but extravagant ceremony in Thailand. In April 2015, White penned an endearing open letter via Facebook entitled "Apologies to My Ex's", where he credited Waters for helping him become, "the very best version of myself." In 2014, he was honored with the Fists of Legends Decade Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo at HBO. Filmography in July 2011]] Film Music videos Television Video games Web series Notes References External links * * Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:African-American film directors Category:American male film actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male karateka Category:American jujutsuka Category:Male actors from Bridgeport, Connecticut Category:American tang soo do practitioners Category:American wushu practitioners Category:American male taekwondo practitioners Category:Film directors from Connecticut Category:Shotokan practitioners Category:Gōjū-ryū practitioners Category:Kyokushin kaikan practitioners Category:African-American male actors